Sony kicks off Xperia Tablet Z preorders ahead of release on O2

JAPANESE HARDWARE MAKER Sony has started taking preorders for its Xperia Tablet Z device ahead of its release in mid-April.

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z is available to order now from Sony's online store. The 16GB WiFi-only model is priced at £399, while the 32GB WiFi-only model will cost an extra £50 at £449. There's also a holding webpage for Sony's 16GB LTE Xperia Tablet Z, though this model's pricing has yet to be revealed, suggesting that it won't be released just yet.

Sony is promising to ship Xperia Tablet Z devices to buyers between 12-15 April, the first confirmation we've had of a release date.

What's more, we've spotted the Sony Xperia Tablet Z over on the O2 website. This means those of you who don't fancy handing over a wad of cash can grab the tablet on a contract - although O2 is remaining quiet on pricing and release date details.

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z was shown off at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), as Sony touted its slim 6.9mm frame and waterproof feature. That's not all it's got going for it, as the tablet - which looks like an enlarged version of Sony's Xperia Z smartphone - also features a 10.1in WUXGA Reality display and Sony's Bravia technology.

The tablet is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core 1.5GHz processor and Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system. Sony said it roll out an update to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean shortly after the tablet's release.

Other specifications include an 8.1MP rear-facing camera with CMOS sensor, a 2MP front-facing camera, NFC support and a 6,000mAh battery.